Book Impressions - A Calculated Life by Anne Charnock

A Calculated Life is set in the near future, a future where super intelligent people are bred to order and then leased to top businesses. They don't really get their own lives and are segregated from the rest of the population. The story tells of one of these people and their journey of discovery of human nature.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot, the writing style is crisp and suits the story well. The course it takes is a little predictable, but that isn't a problem, it's the journey that makes this book worth reading.

The story is well paced and leads to a satisfying conclusion. I'll look forward to reading more of this author's work.

A Calculated Life is a dystopian vision of corporate life later in the 21st century when big business and state institutions are thriving thanks to a compliant, stratified and segregated workforce. Hyper-intelligent professionals live in affluence within the metropolis while menials live out in the subsidized, but spartan, enclaves.

There are upsides for everyone. Advances in genetic engineering have freed the population from addictive tendencies. Violent crime is a rarity.

Mayhew McCline, a corporation that detects global trends, recruits a young woman, Jayna, who instantly becomes the firm's star performer. No one seems to be jealous. After all, she guarantees they all make their bonuses.

Despite her flawless track record, Jayna is feeling twitchy. She knows she’s making stupid mistakes. But no one has noticed, yet. Working on a hunch that she’s too sheltered from real-world unpredictability, she embarks on an experiment to disrupt her prescribed daily routine. 

Unwittingly, she sets a path that leads to clandestine forays beyond the metropolis, forbidden relationships and disloyalty.

Buy A Calculated Life now from Amazon (it's worth a read!)